Owner/Builder

Use Renewable Energy

There are many ways to conserve the use of fossil fuel; using the sun, wind, or water to produce electricity are among them. If you choose to do this, you will be forced to be careful in the way you use your electricity because it is limited. Whether you get your electricity from alternative sources or from the grid, it pays to choose energy efficient appliances. Front-loading clothes washers, for instance, use much less electricity, water and soap than the top-loaders. LED lights use much less electricity than standard bulbs or even compact flourescents. Many appliances use electricity by just being plugged in (known as phantom loads); be sure to avoid this.

Besides conserving electricity, energy can be saved by using solar to heat water and your home. Good home design will allow daylight to provide lighting when possible. Under some circumstances wood heat is a renewable energy resource, along with geothermal. Even methane can be produced from biomass, collected and used for heating and cooking. Any strategy that helps conserve the use of fossil fuels for any of these applications is worth considering, especially if it reduces the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the air.

See Your Ad
in This Space!
Click Here
for More Information

Informative Links, Media and Products

The media shown below are arranged according to when they were published, with the most recent ones at the top. If you click on one of the images you will be taken to a page at Amazon.com where you can find out more about the media or product. If you end up buying one of them, greenhomebuilding.com will receive a small commission that will help cover the cost of maintaining this website. Thanks for your patronage.

General

nrel.gov The Renewable Resource Data Center (RReDC) provides access to an extensive collection of renewable energy resource data, maps, and tools.

the-mrea.org Midwest Renewable Energy Association site with information on PV, solar water heating, their annual fair, etc.

solar-energy-for-homes.com has lots of information about the use of solar enegry for electricity, hot water, cooking, hot tubs, etc.

ecodirect.com links to several informative articles about renewable energy technology.

homeselfe.com 50 ways to save energy infographic.

blinds-2go.co.uk This infographic describes many measures to enhance the energy efficiency of your home.

solar-us-shop.com Should renesables be considered green?

enogy.com 10 Most Important Articles From EnergyBulletin.net

www.energy.gov A very comprehensive guide to energy conservation.

Photovoltaics

freesunpower.com this site has assembled a detailed set of free tutorials and worksheets for calculating needs and system requirements for solar electricity.

solarenergy.com this is a free solar energy calculator that can help evaluate the cost of a PV system on your house.

understandsolar.com allows you to calculate your savings when buying solar panels.

evergreensolar.com is the home site of the National Council for Solar Growth which has a mission to educate homeowners and businesses about the economic and environmental benefits of PV solar.

letsgosolar.com The Homeowner's Guide to Solar Financing.

angieslist.com This guide to solar energy in the home is primarily about the benefits of using solar electric power.

electricchoice.com list of consideration regardiing the installation of rooftop solar.

solarenergyhackers.com Advantages and Disadvantages of Solar Energy

ecogenamerica.com Advantages Of Solar Energy For Your Home

eonsolaris.com Phtovoltaic panel mounting systems.

unboundsolar.com Solar Panels 101: A Guide to Solar Energy and Systems

www.sunrun.com Solar Panels for Tiny House Living

Solar Hot Water

Seabird Island Project shows unique design for the solar heating of water and space through warm air collection and geothermal heat tubes.

sundrumsolar.com offers kits for hybrid solar thermal/PV systems.


Wind Power

awea.org American Wind Energy Association provides a wealth of information about generating energy from wind.

arcadiapower.com When you sign up for Wind Energy with Arcadia Power, you'll ensure that for every kWh of electricity you use, a kWh of clean energy is produced and put in the grid.

solar-us-shop.com Factors and materials to consider before wind turbine installation.

Hydro Power

Economics and Politics

letsgosolar.com 4 Ways Solar Panels Keep Money in your Wallet.

lendedu.com dscusses ways to finance a solar panel installation.

Directories

findsolar.com An online directory of solar energy professionals

seia.org the Solar Energy Industries Association provides news and has a database of solar contractors.

solaraccess.com news, education, business listings and jobs related to renewable energy.

cirkits.com links to manufacturers, organizations, etc. related to alternative energy.

Community Renewable Energy

www.cleanenergyco.com assists with establishing community owned renewable energy facilities.

solargardens.org describes the history of the Solar Garden concept for community owned renewable energy projects.

concertoplus.eu explains all of Concerto's initiatives for bringing renewable energy to cities throughout Europe.

 

Daylighting

Geothermal

geothermalheaters.com explains how geothermal heat pumps work.

cmrmechanical.com has some FAQ's about geothermal systems.

Human Power

mayapedal.org an amazing collection of pedal-powered machines, including grain mill, water pump, blender, metal sharpener, washing machine, electrical generator, wood saw, etc.

Methane

small-farm-permaculture-and-sustainable-living.com a description of a simple biodigestor to make methane.

Home Heating

envisioneer.net has free plans, description and photos of how to build a small masonry stove with paving stones.

richsoil.com has a good description and lots of videos about Rocket Mass Stoves

rumford.com lots of information about Rumford fireplaces.

lowtechmagazine.com a very nice illustrated article about masonry heaters.

Incentives and Support

dsireusa.org The Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) is a comprehensive source of information on state, local, utility, and selected federal incentives that promote renewable energy.

epa.gov The Green Power Partnership is a program that helps the procurement of green power by offering expert advice, technical support, tools and resources.

redfin.com tax rebates and incentives for green home improvements.

letsgosolar.com Tax Credits and Incentives for instally solar panels.

online.rider.edu presents this guide to green loans and energy efficient credits.

solgenpower.com Guide to Green Energy Tax Credits and Incentives for Homeowners

Education

naturalhomes.org lists workshops from around the world, some relating to renewable energy.

solarenergy.org Solar Energy International on-line courses.

lowimpact.org the Low-Impact Linving Initiative in England provides information and courses related to renewable energy.

ases.org the American Solar Energy Society publishes "Solar Today" and posts articles on-line.

homepower.com website for Home Power Magazine: the best source of up-to-date information about alternative energy for the home!

seia.org the Solar Energy Industries Association provides news and has a database of solar contractors.

solaraccess.com news, education, business listings and jobs related to renewable energy.

eia.gov teachers guide for kids learning about energy.

couponchief.com 41 Home Energy Saving Tips to Reduce Your Utility Costs

zeroenergyproject.org affordable zero energy home design & construction in 12 Steps

20somethingfinance.com Stop Wasting Money on Electricity! Your Guide to Identifying & Unplugging Standby Power Appliances

Home       Site Map       STORE

For Email contact go to About Us
Established in 2001, GreenHomeBuilding.com is primarily a labor of love. Kelly, and the GreenHomeBuilding team of experts, have answered thousands of questions for readers over the years, and we continue to publish up-to-date information about increasingly important sustainable architecture. If you feel moved to assist us in this work, your kind donation would be much appreciated; this can be easily done through our PayPal account:
Custom Search

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES:

  [Natural Building Blog]      [Earthbag Building]     [Dream Green Homes]

Disclaimer Of Liability And Warranty
I specifically disclaim any warranty, either expressed or implied, concerning the information on these pages. Neither I nor any of the advisor/consultants associated with this site will have liability for loss, damage, or injury, resulting from the use of any information found on this, or any other page at this site. Kelly Hart, Hartworks LLC.